Page 99 - Roduce Editorials News Today

Online grocery sales dipped a bit in August compared to last year ($8.5 billion vs. $8.6 billion) according to the most recent Brick Meets Click/Mercatus Grocery Shopping Survey. Despite the small dip, ongoing shopper research conducted by Brick Meets Click over the last four years shows how eGrocery sales have remained at significantly elevated levels following the dramatic surge experienced at the onset of the pandemic. There has been a shift in the way households shop online for groceries, ho...

Continental Fresh, which specializes in tropical imports from Latin America to retail, foodservice and wholesale customers in the United States, is slowly winding down its successful Mexican mango program and gearing up to receive its first shipment of Brazilian mangos around the second week of September.

FirstFruits Farms is about to kick off its 10th year of growing and selling Sweetie apples, which it called Gala’s sweeter, crunchier cousin. The Sweetie apple variety is unique in that it contains some of the best attributes from the Royal Gala and the Braeburn varieties. Originally discovered in France, the international flair sets Sweetie apart from other apples.

Bryan Burkhalter has joined Sev-Rend as its new West Coast business development manager. The company said bringing Burkhalter on lines up with its goals to further service clients in the produce industry with high-performance packaging. This move allows Sev-Rend to expand its footprint even further in the ever-growing fresh produce market.

Lidl and Avocados from Peru hosted a celebration Sept. 12 at the supermarket’s Merrifield, VA, location to present the keys of the AVO Tesla to Dr. José Jerónimo, a Maryland cancer specialist and the winner of the 2022 Summer Sweepstakes. Lidl also awarded Jerónimo a $500 gift card to use at any of its supermarket locations.

When it comes to food, Baltimore is probably best known for its seafood, especially crabs, but it also is a home to a vibrant produce business. As Maryland’s biggest city, Baltimore is key to the state’s agriculture business. Vegetable growing totals nearly 30,000 acres in Maryland, with sweet corn comprising more than 8,000 of those acres, followed by watermelon at more than 3,700 acres. Fruit accounts for more than 4,000 acres with apples leading the way with almost 1,800 acres.

Farmers, suppliers and retailers are all currently feeling the pinch of operating their businesses. They are still recuperating from the 2020 COVID-19 setback that disrupted their operations. To make matters worse they are now struggling with the higher costs of historical inflation.

The Organic Produce Association elected Theojary (Theo) Crisantes Jr., chief operations officer for Wholesum, as its chairman. Crisantes has been serving in an acting capacity since the fall of last year.

Brothers Joshua and Morris Setton began processing pistachios in the 80s, believing it was a crop with great potential. Their instincts turned out to be correct as the pistachio industry has grown by leaps and bounds. “This success also allows us to support our community by creating hundreds of jobs, aiding local charities, and developing free recreational and technological amenities for residents such as parks and internet access,” said Joseph Setton, executive vice president of Setton Pist...

Gotham Greens has raised more than $310 million in new capital, bringing the fast-growing company’s total financing to $440 million since its founding in 2009. The latest fundraising round is the company’s largest to date.